SHIMLA, June 29 -- At total of 17 people have lost their lives over the last one week as heavy rains-triggered flash floods wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh and caused infrastructural damage worth at least Rs.300 crore, state minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Saturday. Talking to reporters, Negi confirmed that 17 people have lost their lives so far due to rain-related incidents across the state, with flash floods reported particularly in parts of Kullu and Dharamshala. "This time, the monsoon arrived very early. The flash floods, especially in Kullu and Dharamshala areas, have caused sudden devastation. Seventeen people have died across districts due to rain-related incidents," he said. Negi said the heavy downpour has severely disrupted road connectivity, electricity lines, and water supply schemes in several parts of the state. "In the last evening and this morning, around 37 roads were reported blocked, and nearly 47 distribution transformers (DTRs) were damaged, affecting the electricity supply. However, no national highway is currently closed, " he said. He added that in some areas, small bridges have been washed away, further hampering local connectivity. "Initial estimates suggest that the damages caused by heavy rains in just one week have crossed Rs.300 crore." According to officials aware of the matter, the death toll in the flash flood that wreaked havoc in Kangra and Kullu on June 25 has gone up to eight after recovery of two bodies. The body of a minor girl, identified as Murti Devi, was recovered near the river side in Bakshahal village in Kullu district, they said. The locals spotted the body in the river and informed the police. Three people including Nand Lal, his daughter and sister were washed away in the deluge while trying to take away valuables from their homes at Rehla Bihal in Kullu district on Wednesday. Earlier, six bodies were found in a hydro-project site near the Manuni Khad area in Khaniyara village of Kangra district. The project work was suspended due to rain and the workers were resting in temporary shelters near the site when floodwaters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains rushed towards them, sweeping several of them away, the officials said. The deceased were identified as Chain Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, Nitin and Sanjay both from Nurpur, Pardeep Verma and Chandan from Uttar Pradesh, said Kangra SP Shalini Agnihotri. There were 13 labourers at a camp, five of whom ran towards the hills while the rest were swept away by the gushing waters, said Lovely from Chamba district, who was rescued by the search teams from a forest area near the project. Despite bad weather, joint search-and-rescue operations undertaken by the NDRF, SDRF, police and home guards are underway to find missing persons, officials said....